Potty Training

[Gburchett]

I was wondering how many of you potty train your parrots? I have read (can't remember where), that potty training can be dangerous for the bird, because they will hold it until told to go. Not sure if I really believe it, but I'm not a bird specialist. It seems to me that even birds will go if they have too, my dogs will mess in the house if I leave them there too long without letting them out.

What are your thoughts on this. I am looking at getting a macaw, B&G, more than likely. Just trying to get all the info I can. I'm not worried about the messes, just wondering if potty training really works, and if it could be dangerous.:th_scared4:

[keepsmiling]

The only bird I have sort of potty trained is Pico, my green aracari. I just taught him that I want him to fly back to the playstand to go, He is doing fairly well with it. I have also heard what you heard. I have no personal experience there. I do know parrots and all birds need to go often. I just place down newspaper in the birdroom in the needed spots, and use the flyers from the paper to weigh them down. So when they fly around the papers do not shift.

[roxynoodle]

I don't do it myself. I tried with Rowdy and what happened instead is she wanted to go all the time for me thinking she was pleasing me. That can be as dangerous as holding it too long. It took a long time to undo that. For years sometimes I just had to look at her and she would say, "Poop!" and then go.

I also suspect this is why my Grey holds it for hours. Instead of learning to go on command though she seems to think she isn't supposed to go at all. She's actually embarrassed about it. The reason I think this is she goes normally at night when no one is watching. During the day though she only goes 2 or 3 times and they are HUGE!

[Shade]

I haven't trained any of mine to do it, too concerned that they would stop doing it altogether in their cages and if I happen to be late one day...

With that said, although I had nothing to do with it, Piper has started this thing where if he's on me when he's out and he needs to do his business, he'll fly to a perch, poop there and then fly back. :)

[Gburchett]

My concern is that I work varying hours and am on call 24 hrs 3 - 4 times a month. So far I haven't been gone for 24 hrs, but it has happened to my co-workers. I just don't want to train a parrot to do something and have to wait for me to tell it to go to the bathroom. I just wasn't sure if they really hold it in to the point to harm them.

[shelbyrenee1329]

I dont know of Danny was trained or not ( just got him Saturday) But he will only go in his cage and in one spot. So I have to remember to take him back to his cage when we are playing or else he will hold it. Kinda nice but worries me at the same time.

[roxynoodle]

I dont know of Danny was trained or not ( just got him Saturday) But he will only go in his cage and in one spot. So I have to remember to take him back to his cage when we are playing or else he will hold it. Kinda nice but worries me at the same time.

My amazon does that, too. Just take him back every 30 to 45 minutes and he will be fine :)

[tiffnmango]

Mango potty trained himself. Right now were having issues with him relapsing due to my boyfriend and I breaking up.

***see post in discussion about losing a pet to another member of house***

[jtbirds]

When I first got baby girl i had a huge issue she would hold until i came and said go or anything, I did not potty train her I do not believe in it i only reinforce that they do not poop on me or our living room couch and this is not because I won't deal with it, but it is just nicer if they don't, they have accidents and it is whatever. But when I got baby and had this issue with her I was annoyed because she would hold it and it would stink so bad when she let it out that you knew it was not good for her to be holding it inside. I got her to stop it, she now poops on playgyms and in her cage but will not poop on me still, which is ok.

Baby currently has a bacterial infection and I would defiantly like to attribute this past behavior to being part of what caused bacterial buildup..

So just to share a bad experience it can cause health issues and other underlying issues, it can be helpful but I think if used in the right situation. I've found that parrots usually will try to hold it when they are on you for whatever reason, many of mine I have owned or worked with eventually stopped pooping on me and just doing it Ina more suitable spot(even though I may be as I really don't care if they poop on me it is part of ownership).

[Blancaej]

Quincy learned to squat to tell me he had to go. Then I would take him to the approriate place to go. Quickly of course. Now when we hang out he very rarely poops on furniture or me.

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[Turquoise]

I have never tried to potty train my birds. Heaven knows how much work it was to train my son when he was little (he's 34 now) and I just don't have the will power to go through that with my perpetual 2 - 5 yr old feathered kids. :th_LOL:

I do know some folks who have potty trained their birds & they don't have any problems with them as far as holding it too long. Since I don't have experience with it I couldn't say what drawbacks it could have, but Justin does bring up a very good concern of it becoming a health issue.

Roscoe & Angel will refrain from pooping on me when I hold them. I did not train them to do this, it is just something they choose to do and I am grateful. While they are on their play perches they go whenever they need just as in their enclosures. Ruby Jewel will go any place it hits her to need to. She doesn't care if it is on me or not. That is kind of funny, the boys are more manner able than the girl.